Can plants help to make offices more safe?
With office buildings empty up and down the country, nobody knows for sure when office life will resume, and if things will ever return to the way they were.
Well, we think office plants can help the office adjust to a post-pandemic world and create offices which are better, brighter, safer and more productive. Here’s how…
Plants can help us reduce stress
Offices up and down the country have closed or completely altered the way they work due to the Covid-19 pandemic. And this will be the case for the foreseeable future. Could plants be the way that workers return to the office? With their relaxing and de-stressing properties, we think they just might be.
Understandably, many of us might have concerns about going back into the office after a year of home working. Especially the thought of all of those shared spaces. But could plants calm our nerves? Scientists think so.
It’s no secret that humans have always felt at home in nature. Scientists have been studying how plants affect our stress levels for many years and the results are amazing. Having office plants around in our working environment helps us feel more relaxed and can even improve our concentration.
Plants can help with social distancing
Another concern about returning to our shared workspaces is keeping up with social distancing. Gone are the days when we can all crowd round our coworkers desk while they blow out candles – so how will we keep our distance when we return?
You guessed it, plants. Makeshift screening and floor tape might be a necessary new part of office decor, but they don’t win any points for style.
Check out these bespoke office plant installations that measure two metres in length. Not only do they keep people socially distant, they look good too. We can design and install any configuration of planters to encourage social distancing. Just get in touch with us today – we love to hear your ideas.
Can plants even clean the air?
We need clean oxygen to survive. On the other hand, plants absorb a gas we don’t need, carbon dioxide. Plants work to combine carbon dioxide with water and sunlight to produce energy in a process called photosynthesis. In doing so, they actually clean and purify the air.
Never has there been a bigger need for fresh air in the office. A bunch of healthy plants can help with air flow and keeping workers safe when they return to the office. That’s right, no more stuffy offices. Although we’re afraid it’s not guaranteed to stop the smell of coworker’s microwaved fish.
Plants can help reduce sickness and absence rates
Over the past year, our health has been at the front of our minds. But what if we could make working in an office healthier? Plants can achieve this – and they might even make us more productive at work.
The 2015 Human Spaces report, which studied 7,600 office workers in 16 countries, found that workers in a plant-filled office scored 15% higher in well being. They were also found to be up to 6% more productive than employees who worked in offices with no plant life.
Plants make an office feel alive
So plants can clean the air, keep us healthier and make us work smarter? They really are little miracles. In addition to this, they add colour and life to the office – which could soften the blow of not being able to work in your pajama bottoms.
The Human Spaces report also tells us that workplaces with plants are more attractive to prospective employees – another reason to invest in brightening up your office space.
Find out more
Want to find out more about adding some plant life into your office? Get in touch today. We design, create, install and maintain unique plantscapes for every occasion.
You can also follow us on Instagram for sneak peaks of our designs and plenty of planting tips.